Hi SoulFest Family!
Some of you have already heard, for others, this could be a big surprise, but we’re finally able to publicly announce our move to the Topsfield Fairgrounds, in Topsfield, MA.
So here we are, after originally announcing that we were headed to the Moody Center in Northfield, MA for SoulFest 2023, announcing another location. You have lots of questions, and I’ll do my best to cover with broad strokes what we have figured out to date.
I'll start with why we're making the move. It became apparent that our moving the festival to Northfield was a major concern for the area residents and would be a burden on the town’s infrastructure. We didn’t want to give up on the beautiful potential of the Moody Center and its mission fit with ours, but at the same time, we want to invite all of our guests, volunteers, artists, etc. into a welcoming environment, one where we can be a blessing to the local community and economy, not a burden. We had to start searching for a new location while waiting through the beginning of the application process for an event permit from the town. We toyed around with variations at Moody and considered limiting the size of the event, but that didn't feel right. We contacted and visited many sites, looking for one that could accommodate the festival on the same weekend, rather than shrink the size of our gathering.
We are grateful to have connected with the Topsfield Fairgrounds team, who have hosted 50,000 daily attendees along with live musical performances during their October fair dates and are surrounded by an abundance of local accommodations to support the festival. With 5 months leading up to the festival and the venue change newly official, the details for the festival such as layout, answers to frequently asked questions, and vendor and volunteer applications will be fully rolled out within this next month.
Ticketholders for the festival prior to this announcement will have the option for a refund, though all pre-purchased tickets will be honored at the new location. We will email Ticketholders via Eventbrite with this news and a month window to request a refund. Bear with us as we are rebuilding our team and have many moving parts. We have added the upgrades many have been waiting for (some have changed or will no longer be offered due to the venue change). Parking is now included with admission; attendees won’t need to buy a parking pass. We will offer limited tent and RV camping, which we’ll be managing (not the Topsfield Fairgrounds), so give us another couple of weeks to set up the layout and registration. The first opportunity for registration will go to previous SoulFest Campers. We will also roll out vendor and volunteer applications within the first half of March.
We created a landing page with a map of the Topsfield Fair as a reference for where our 4 stages will be and what to expect as of now. We will develop our own map and offer more details to you over the next couple of weeks. With the venue confirmation in sight, we were able to begin booking again and have some new additions. We’ve confirmed some of our staples, many talented regional acts, children’s programming, and a throw-back to help us celebrate a festival 25 years in the making!
We’re grateful for you, your support, and your patience. We’re excited about what lies ahead for our community in this new venue. This location makes us a lot more accessible to more people. We look forward to welcoming our long-term attendees and volunteers into this new space, counting on you to help us shape and share the True Love Experience with all our first-timers as we make new memories together.
Join us at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, Aug. 3-5, to celebrate 25 years of Music.Love.Action, for worship and renewal, and plan to learn, grow, and connect in life-changing ways!
With gratitude,
Vanessa Ayersman
General Manager
New Sound Inc & SoulFest